Best heart attack survival rate and only hospital in Miami-Dade County honored with Mission: Lifeline achievement award

(Miami Beach, FL – August, 2016) —Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida continues to provide the best heart attack care and survival in Miami-Dade County according to recent rankings from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Heart Association.

Mount Sinai ranks No. 1 in Miami-Dade County in heart attack survival rate according to the most recent data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare, which compared data from over 4,000 hospitals across the country, including 181 hospitals throughout the state of Florida.

The high heart attack survival rate is a result of the partnership between Mount Sinai and the City of Miami Beach. Through a collaborative effort that includes the city’s Public Safety Communications Unit (911 Center), Fire Rescue and well-trained paramedics, who provide pre-hospital care, there exists a seamless, highly organized system of care for heart attack patients from the moment they call 911, to the time they are brought to the Mount Sinai emergency room and, ultimately, reach the cardiac catheterization lab to open the coronary artery.

“As the only hospital and emergency room in Miami Beach, we are a vital part of the safety net of our community,” says Steve Sonenreich, Mount Sinai President and CEO. “At our Harvey R. Chaplin Family Stroke and Chest Pain Center, we are able to treat heart attacks quickly and efficiently utilizing a high reliability organization model in which every person, from receptionist to interventionist, is trained and ready to deliver prompt, lifesaving care.”

Mount Sinai also received the Mission: Lifeline® Silver Receiving Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. Mount Sinai is one of two hospitals in South Florida – and the only one in Miami-Dade County – to be awarded this achievement for heart attack care as a receiving ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) center.

“We commend Mount Sinai for this achievement award, which reflects a significant institutional commitment to the highest quality of care for their heart attack patients,” said James G. Jollis, MD, Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group. “Achieving this award means the hospital has met specific reporting and achievement measures for the treatment of their patients who suffer heart attacks and we applaud them for their commitment to quality and timely care.”

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience a STEMI heart attack, (the most deadly type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

Mount Sinai earned the award by meeting specific criteria and standards of performance for the quick and appropriate treatment of STEMI patients by providing emergency procedures to re-establish blood flow to blocked arteries when needed.

The national goal in heart attack treatment to restore blood flow to the heart is less than 120 minutes from the moment an ambulance picks up the patient, and 90 minutes from arriving at the hospital. Mount Sinai, in conjunction Miami Beach Fire Rescue, have surpassed both goals by being able to restore blood flow within 90 minutes from the field, and 60 minutes upon hospital arrival, respectively.

“Anyone who suspects they are having a heart attack should call 911 immediately,” says Dr. David Farcy, Chairman of Mount Sinai’s Emergency Medicine Department. “Heart attack diagnosis and treatment can begin before you even reach the hospital, and it’s a very effective way to reduce the time it takes to get you the treatment you need.”

If you suspect that you or someone you know may be having a heart attack, DO NOT DELAY. Calling 911 for immediate treatment of a heart attack can help lessen the amount of damage to the heart and, ultimately, save a life.